We Tried It: The New Limited Edition MAC Cremeblend Color

Blush and I have a love/hate relationship. It probably stems from 16 years of cheer competitions, where pounds of glitter, red lipstick and layers of poppy pink blush were spackled onto my face for all 10,000 crowd members, 700 teams, and (a measly) five judges to see. Even on my dark skin, it was terrifying. In fact, because I had a dark complexion, I was layered with even more extravagant, overstated makeup -- we're talking clown territory, people. Only someone with more than a decade of being around outrageous, 10-inch hair bows and sparkle-laden blue mats can fathom this look.

But as I've experimented with the finer side of makeup -- the bold, chic lipsticks, the colorful, cute eyeliners -- I've learned that blush can actually be beautiful. And this is why I grabbed the new MAC Cremeblend Blush, $21, faster than Anna Wintour pulled Miley Cyrus' December Vogue cover.

The new, limited edition color is called Glamour Feast and at first glance, it looks like the perfect lip color for fall -- a deep, almost wine-colored red that seemed way too dark to put on the apples of my cheeks. The scarred-for-life-by-clown-makeup me thought, "Wait, blush is supposed to be bright-bright and fuschia, right? You know, to make my cheeks stand out?"

Well, this blush did all of that ... and then some, but in the best way possible. The neutral shade brings out the natural undertones in my skin, making it seem like I have a natural flush. I applied it using a blush brush (naturally) although it was a creamy, not powdery formula. But the slightly rounded tip of my brush worked to get the color on my cheeks evenly and blended perfectly. I've also dabbed a little blush onto my finger, blotted it onto my cheekbones and blended it using the brush as well. Both techniques work equally well, which is a plus for any makeup product I use.

MAC's crème formula sinks into your skin, allowing the color to stay bright without fading. The consistency is not too thick, but rich enough to build color up for a more saturated finish. It's a pretty neutral shade overall, which means it'll complement an array of skin tones in a way that's natural-looking and not super costume-y. It doesn't have a matte finish -- it gives cheeks a smooth, dewy glow that's (thankfully) not shimmery at all.

The kicker was that it paired well with a similar colored lipstick. I tend to stay away from wearing blush and lipstick combos for fear of having too much color on my face, but this shade worked. Plus, it didn't smear off my face after hours of aimless fidgeting -- touching my face and tapping my cheeks while brainstorming (bad habits I can't seem to quit). My recommendation: Add this to your bag ASAP (it's a limited edition, so snag it before October 3!) if you need a staple blush you'll wear well in to the New Year.